Stories should be true

Why? Because we all know that truth is almost always more entertaining than fiction. And it should be seen through your experience.

Delivery is essential

Association stories are told, not read. The best storytellers look their audience in the eye and connect with them without a manuscript or notes. Don’t memorize a pre-written text; rather, know it “by heart.” No notes, paper, or crib sheets are allowed on stage.

Your story should have conflict

Every good story should have conflict or something at stake. Stakes can be large or small, but you should have something to gain or lose. If your story doesn’t have this, think of something else. “Observations about life” or similar stories are best shared in another genre.

Start with action

Plan your first few lines that set up what is at stake and grabs the audience’s attention.

Doesn’t work: “I woke up late one day after a night of partying. I made breakfast, watched the morning news, and made an Eggo waffle. I’ve been out of work for 6 months and have applied to over 300 jobs with no luck. After a plate of eggs, my girlfriend called and complained about her landlady not fixing the shower. After a mid-morning pharmacy run for some ointment, I got a phone call with a job offer.”

Works better: “The phone woke me up from a dead sleep. A hushed voice from the other end of the line told me to pack a bag and be on the next flight to Dhaka, Bangladesh, for a 6-month assignment. I fished my passport out of the washing machine and called the doctor for a prescription for malaria prophylaxis.”

Get so familiar with your story that you can play, not panic

The panic you experience when fishing for your next line makes the audience feel uncomfortable. Write out the main points of your story beforehand and fill in the details as you tell. The story should feel immediate—like an enthusiastic recount of a tale told to a best friend at a dinner party. Storytelling should be fun!

...and to avoid

Endings that ramble

There’s nothing more painful to an audience than an unstructured ending. Your last line should pop and be emotionally satisfying. While great stories are often told in an improvisational style, many of the best tellers pre-write and memorize their opening and closing lines.

No standup routines or theatrical monologues

While many of the best true-told stories are funny, they should have a clear through-line and not be a series of jokes. There are stand-up open-mics in Orlando and Tampa. If you’re a playwright and are working out a piece of fiction, this is not the venue for you.

Storytelling is not therapy

Good stories should be universal to the human experience, and not an exploration of your psychic pain…. unless you can frame your story with a resolution that resonates with your audience. (However, you may still want to consider therapy.)

No essays

This is not the place for your version of Walden’s Pond. Poetic reflections are wonderful on the page, but unless they have action and stakes, they won’t land on stage.

No phony dialects

If your story doesn't work in your own voice or that of your people of origin, please consider telling a different one. In this context, imitating accents from another culture or race rarely works and often offends.

Final thoughts

Let’s be civil and respectful. Avoid stories that have racist, homophobic, misogynistic, or other forms of unseemly speech. Our events are not the place for this. Also, during these unique times, we should probably avoid political diatribes.